As a freshmen volleyball player at Arkansas Tech University, Courtney Collins was a quiet player who let her actions do the talking.

This year, as the lone senior for the Golden Suns, Collins said she hopes to become the leader she looked up to in former Golden Sun Kelly Allums. Coach Kristy Bayer said as the years have gone by, Collins has become the leader of the team. This year, she expects Collins will culminate her leadership experience vocally and by example.

"I like being the person people look up to or when the freshmen come in and they ask questions," Collins said. "I think it's a good way to continue the program the way I was brought into it and just keep it the way it's just been run in the past."

Collins said during her freshmen and sophomore years, she looked up to Allums and felt she introduced her to the volleyball program. She said there is pressure to lead the team, but feels it's good pressure.

"I want to be the kind of leader that I would want to have lead me. I want to have people look to me for support on and off the court and be the person that people want to model themselves when they become seniors," she said.

Tech finished 20-16 overall, 5-7 in conference play and fifth in the Gulf South West division last year. Collins said the team has set its goals high and feels its chances are good due to the larger influx of upperclassmen.

"We want to win it all. Of course, we want to go as far as we can," Collins said. "We want to host the [Gulf South Conference] tournament if possible, our goals are high. We set our goals high so we can strive to be the best.

"I think we look good. We have a lot of returners. I think there's just a different dynamic on the team. It's the first year, since my freshmen year, where the upperclassmen group is bigger than the underclassmen group, so we really need to bring them in and welcome them rather than them taking over us."

Bayer and Collins both expect great things out of the team. Bayer said she felt Collins pushes to improve herself and the team.

"You always have to go into things expecting the best. I just expect a good season out of myself and hopefully go as far as possible," Collins said.

"She is the definition of work ethic," Bayer said. "She pushes herself to improve herself. She stays after practice, comes in early and has high standards for herself and has grown into becoming a very good leader."

Collins said this year's team was her favorite, and the team is more like a family - a family Collins said she would never forget. She said the team leans on each other and will be friends she will have forever.

After four years as a Golden Sun, and in light of the recent mascot committee recommendation, The Courier asked Collins if she would always be a Golden Sun. She was hesitant to answer at first and approached her coach about the matter. Bayer said she would have to clear the question with Sports Information Director Ben Greenberg, who told The Courier it was free to ask whatever questions it wanted, but he insisted on listening to the rest of the interview.

"I'll always be a Tech volleyball player," Collins said, glancing over at Greenberg.

Greenberg admonished the reporter not to misquote Collins, and told her he was proud of her answer and high-fived her, saying, "I like that answer."

Collins and the Golden Suns will open the 2007 season Aug. 24 with the Golden Suns Spikefest.